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Mercedes Unveils Self-Driving, Pollution-Free Car At CES 2015

Dubbed the Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion, this automobile is fully autonomous and produces no carbon emissions whatsoever, said Dieter Zetsch, head of the German company. It is powered by a battery and a fuel cell that produces electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen to create water. When these two gases combine, they release energy that can be harnessed. Challenges in the past have involved safely storing hydrogen, which is combustible, especially under pressure. But this car houses the gas in super-strong cylinders placed between the wheels, where they are unlikely to be damaged even in a bad accident, said Ralf Herrtwich, a senior engineer with the company. The car can travel about 200 kilometers (125 miles) on the power of its batteries, which are charged by being plugged in. Once these are spent, the hydrogen fuel cell is activated, which can provide power to drive another 900 km (550 miles), Herrtwich said.